Suzan Solomon: Remember: If you can blog it, then you can vote on it

SCV Voices

People love to share their thoughts, ideas and opinions. We all want to be heard, recognized and validated for what we think.

People talk, text, blog, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. But do they vote?

Voting is not sexy, I know. It is, however, the single act by millions of people that can have an impact on the direction of a country, a state, a city, a county, a school district, a water district and so on.

Modern “word of mouth” or “social networking” is actually the most effective means of communication in getting people to vote for specific candidates and issues, and yet with the amount of communication blaring at us, people are not voting en masse.

Voting has become an errand for some, another thing to do. “Oh, I have to fill out my ballot and mail it.”

This activity requires multiple steps: Finding the ballot in a stack of mail, finding a pen, reading the ballot, looking up information on candidates and initiatives or propositions, thinking and processing the information, perhaps calling friends or family to verify your thoughts, then making the final decision, filling in the ballot, putting the ballot in the envelope, sealing, signing and stamping it. Then finally mailing it is added to the list of errands.

On Election Day, for those voters who are not early voters, going to the polls — which I still do because I feel voting is an honor and I am steeped in many traditional American practices — appears on the “to-do list” of the day.

Fortunately, the polls are open for 13 hours, so there is broad access to accommodate multiple needs.

However, statistics show time and again, voters are not turning out at the polls.

For candidates, elections are won with the early voters. Candidates can win Election Day voters, but that does not mean they necessarily win an election. They win just that day, but not the election. Election day voters, if they turned out in large numbers, could turn election results.

Voting is extraordinarily important. You are important. Your voice is important.

To those who vote all or most of the time, you are to be commended and I urge your help in getting more people to vote.

Don’t let political cynicism and the multimillion-dollar negative campaigns detour you from voting.

Take charge of city, county, state and country. Be proud to vote.

President Lincoln captures the spirit of America and democracy in the Gettysburg Address in his statement: “... and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

He also stated: “America will never be destroyed from the outside.

If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”

Therefore, we must vote! We must be responsible for ourselves and keep ourselves strong.

See you at the polls on Nov. 2, 2010.

Suzan Solomon is a member of the Newhall School District board, president of the SCV Trustees Association and vice president of education for the California State PTA. Her column reflects her own views and not necessarily those of The Signal.